Sunday 29 November 2015

The end of November

Hello Lovelies,
It's now a year since I braved joining my local walking group and I'm so happy I did.
I've seen so many new places, had lovely company and so much fun. No to mention the wonderful fresh air and exercise. I still enjoy walking alone, but for longer adventures it's so nice to have company.... and a guide :0)

last week was walk 35... which departed from a village filled with geese..........


As we set off they came over to say hello...........


As one of the group members pointed out, there will be a lot less of them here in January..........


They added much charm to a time of year that badly needs it. Mud is everywhere, but the views are still lovely...........


It's always good to get out in the fresh air even when the sky is grey.........


there is some colour if you look for it............


and pretty scenes that you happen upon...........


As we neared the end of our 8 mile walk the sun even tried to shine a little....lighting up our destination for a while............




Yesterday was cold and a short walk around the park was all that appealed......I love the waterfall here .........


But by the time I got home I was very glad to put the oven on and bake a cake with some apples that a friend kindly left on my doorstep on Wednesday morning.........

Recipe HERE

 Today the weather has been cold and wet and blustery. Not conducive to walking at all.....so I haven't. I always feel happy that I made the most of the outdoors when it was nice on days like this.

It makes me feel content to say indoors, and my little kitchen, that seems dark and annoys me with it's lack of view in the summer, suddenly seems bright and cosy when it's dark outside and the garden lacks interest anyway...well except for the birds. I do wish I could see my popular bird feeders from here............


The geraniums I rescued before the first frost hit are cosy indoors, and this one is making me smile with it's scarlet gorgeousness..........


I think a grey day makes me relish bursts of colour even more. Even the fresh green of the cabbage I was chopping for Sunday dinner looked amazing.......


And what MUST be the final garden posy of 2015 ...beautiful, slightly frost bitten Roses...added another splash of happy colour............


Not wanting to leave my warm kitchen after dinner, and with more gifted apples to use up, I did some batch baking..........


Love having this sort of quick, home made desert in my freezer.........


At tea time I was baking again......a batch of dropped scones....something my mum used to make on dark winter evenings..........


though I was baking in an apron not a girdle :0).........

 I make double this amount for 5 of us.


By eight pm I was all cooked out....and very happy to sit down with my crochet for a little while....


Having missed strictly last night I was keen to watch it on catch up.........oh my word. Helen and Aljaz's Waltz....perfect music, perfect dress, perfect story telling, perfect dancing. Just magical.

Jacquie x

13 comments:

  1. A year already?! Wow the time flew didn't it?! We had a lovely walk Saturday, unseasonable warm, I was out in short sleeves. Today has been rain and more rain and again for most of the week ahead so the weatherman says. Enjoy it when we can! My youngest and I baked an apple cake this week too.Your ripple is beautiful!

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  2. I enjoyed seeing all of the geese on your walk, it did look like they were saying hello. :-). Lots of yummy baking going on too. I like to have something in the freezer that I can pop out and thaw for u expected company. Flowers. Yes! I love fresh flowers in the winter time.
    Blessings,
    Betsy

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  3. The geese are so humorous-looking - whenever I see them I think of Garth Williams's charming illustrations for Charlotte's Web.

    What a lovely walk. It's still so green there! Thanks for the apple cake recipe link - we had some wonderful apple cake when we visited Lyme Regis years ago and I've always wanted to duplicate it.

    Grey days do make a warm indoors seem so much more appealing. :)

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  4. This year has gone too fast......oh I do love all of the geese and makes the countryside look even more beautiful ☺ Lets not think about where some of them are heading lol Baking and cold days/nights, nothing better ☺

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  5. That's great that you've been with your walking group for a year.. I bet you've made some really good friends with it and I know you've seen more places than ever. A win-win situation! What cute geese.. I bet they were making a racket! ((hugs)), Teresa :-)

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  6. Gorgeous photos, the geese made me smile. And how pretty the waterfall is looking, despite it being almost winter. The walking group has been a triumph I think, it's a great way to explore the countryside. I haven't been for a walk for a while, I'm suffering withdrawal symptoms. Your beautiful pictures have helped though, so thank you. CJ xx

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  7. Gorgeous photos of your week, thanks for sharing
    Jackie x

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  8. Well done on keeping up with the walking, it's so satisfying looking back isn't it and saying that it was a good decision. I love your photos of the sun shining on the village in the distance. I like to wait and see if that spot of sun makes it way to me. What you need is for your Mum to paint a mural on the fence so that you can glance out from your kitchen window and see a beautiful landscape. Have a wonderful week with your feet up (the weather is awful!). xx

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  9. Very interesting reading your blog, love your pics, xxxx

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  10. I always enjoy your blog, lovely geese pictures, my dad used to keep them in our garden and I was terrified of them , I'm braver now.... Thank you for the cake recipe, hope your apron was well greased then if you weren't cooking in a girdle!

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  11. I get mystery apples and fruit - I normally have no idea who they are from! Your blanket is coming along a treat. We have pancakes every Sunday and one week it is me and I do the griddle ones because they are quick then the other week Andy does french ones - because he can without saying the f word which is normally what happens to me when I try to make crepes! Jo x

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  12. Jacquie, once again i thank you for your marvelous posts that give me such a realistic view of what it might be like to live so close to beautiful nature. (I even appreciate what you show and tell about the view from your kitchen. My little closet of a kitchen has no window whatsover!)
    I'm very impressed by your 8 mile walk. Wow and wow again.
    Girdle/gridle cooked scones look delicious. Hoping I'll remember that you let us have this recipe. Lucky you to have those donated apples. Apple crumble is a treat that truly does not rely upon the contributing apples to be 100% perfect.
    Best wishes to you as November yields to December. xo

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  13. Thank You for this lovely post!
    Always a true pleasure to follow you in your glorious everyday life ;)

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